Vehicle arresting systems have been in development for many years. Some arresting systems utilize a solid barrier that is used to stop an overrunning vehicle. These barriers can often be lethal or detrimental to the occupants and may cause extensive damage to the vehicle. Other types of barriers are designed to be crushable, while still having enough strength that they can safely stop the vehicle. Such barriers are generally made of a deformable material that has a compressive strength sufficient to absorb the kinetic energy of a moving vehicle, while preventing serious injury or death to the vehicle occupants. However, these systems are typically permanent, can be expensive to install and maintain, and they are typically used along a road edge. They are not designed to be deployed across a highway or road.
However, in some instances, it is desirable to stop a vehicle that is not necessarily overrunning a roadway, but to instead stop a vehicle directly on the roadway itself. For example, it may be desirable to stop a suspicious vehicle from entering a restricted area; to protect high profile buildings or target areas that may be the subject of a terrorist attack, such as embassies, government buildings, military bases, and/or national monuments; to protect potentially dangerous locations, such an nuclear power plants or chemical production sites; to protect locations where the entering and exiting traffic needs to be controlled, mobile checkpoints, road blocks; or for any other number of reasons. One solution for stopping a vehicle directly on a roadway is an in-ground net installed in an excavated slot that can be raised when appropriate. However, the installation of such nets can be expensive and time consuming.
There have also been portable non-lethal arresting systems designed for use across a roadway, such as spike strips. Spike strips are provided over a particular access or departure point in order to puncture the tires of a vehicle. Although spike strips may be portable and inexpensive to manufacture and use, one of the limitations of spike strips is that the driver could continue to drive on steel rims. They do not physically arrest or stop the vehicle. Another system has been designed that also includes barbed spikes that puncture the tires, used in connection with a net that becomes wrapped or tangled beneath the vehicle wheels, preventing any further forward motion. Both of these systems must be manually positioned prior to use. They also use spikes or barbs which can be dangerous to the personnel selected to position the systems or pedestrians. They are also positioned directly on the roadway, which may not be desirable in some instances.
Accordingly, further improvements to non-lethal vehicle arresting systems are needed. It is desirable to provide a catch net design that can be pre-positioned for use, but that is easy to deploy and does not involve the expense of excavating the roadway. Such systems are desirably designed to stop a questionable vehicle in a safe and efficient manner.